Courtesy Sacramento International Airport
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Three years after breaking ground, a $1.03 billion terminal will open in early October at Sacramento International Airport.
Central Terminal B is three times larger than Terminal B, which it will replace. The new terminal is designed to last 50 years without needing an upgrade. It will be connected to the airport’s Terminal A by a new people-mover. The existing Terminal B will be demolished.
In addition to having space for a number of local restaurants and shops, the new terminal was built to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards. It has low-flow fixtures, energy efficient lighting and temperature control, educational signage, efficient landscaping and stormwater management. The new building uses natural light and recycled wood, and much of the construction waste was recycled.
Sacramento International is 12 miles northwest of downtown Sacramento along Interstate 5 in the seven-county Sacramento area. Currently, 12 major air carriers offer 158 daily flights.
Meanwhile, in Amarillo, Texas, a new concourse has opened at the Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport as part of a $52.2 million upgrade.
The 46,000-square-foot concourse has seven boarding gates, and all but one are equipped with glass-wall boarding bridges. Other improvements are a baggage handling system that removes bag screening from the front of the ticket counters; a larger security checkpoint; remodeled ticket counters, lobby and baggage claim areas; and updated graphics and signs.
Now that the new concourse has opened, the existing concourse will be demolished.
A separate project to rehabilitate the 40-year-old roadway and bridge that provides vehicle access to the second-floor ticketing lobby began in February. The project includes a free parking lot for those waiting to pick up arriving passengers.
Four commercial airlines serve the airport: American Eagle, Continental Express, Southwest and United Express.
Amarillo International has one of the nation’s longest runways and is home to Bell Helicopter/Textron’s Military Aircraft Assembly Center. The airport is seven miles from downtown.
